Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi leading Congress in elections and losing battle may seem same for many but the Gujarat election results portray a completely different picture of Congress and its President- elect Rahul Gandhi.
With 22 years in power, it was meant to be a cakewalk for BJP which touted Gujarat model of development. It is the same model which drived Modi to power in 2014 general elections when BJP sweeped Gujarat with 26-0 in the Lok Sabha.
But with Rahul Gandhi’s new dynamic role firing on BJP with public speeches on myth of Gujarat model of development, he has boosted the motivation of party workers and won the trust of Gujarati people reflecting his ability of Congress party leadership.
The BJP was on the defensive mode throughout the campaign. It continuously targeted Rahul Gandhi as if he was in power. Rahul Gandhi has compared GST with Gabbar Singh Tax and public rallies were organised over the negative impact of demonetisation.
The Congress has increased its tally by 19 seats. It has won 61 seats in Gujarat in 2012 assembly elections, and in the Gujarat election results, 2017 announced, the Congress has won 80 seats. It was just short of 12 seats to form Government.
Though BJP will now be forming government, the reality check is that its number of seats has been decreased by 16 seats. In 2012, the BJP was able to win 115 seats. But in Gujarat Assembly election results announced yesterday, it fell short of century by winning 99 seats.
Amit Shah had camped for nearly two months in Ahmedabad and was working overtime to ensure BJP’s victory. It was an election for BJP to lose.
However, Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on Modi as ‘Neech Aadmi’ gave an opportunity to the BJP to compare Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as Congress President with that of Aurangzeb.
In the end, it proved to be a bridge too far for the Congress to cross. However, Rahul Gandhi was not rattled by the personal barbs of BJP.
Yesterday’s election results prove the ability of Rahul Gandhi to carry forward the legacy of the grand old party, the Congress. The Congress couldn’t form government in Gujarat, but it’s a victory for it as it has given a tough fight for the BJP which fell on defensive mode during campaigns. PM Modi himself was frequently visiting Gujarat to ensure BJP’s victory. Modi even went far to criticize former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with baseless allegations.